> When you have a strong network of neighbors and a little bit of cash, you can ramp up investment by cleaning up dirty corners and getting the basic services that a neighborhood is missing.
I don't think you need a network to begin cleaning up dirty corners.
Just pick up garbage you see on the street when you walk around. It has an immediate impact, is easy and doesn't cost anything. Other people may see it and may begin doing that as well. I'm surprised more people don't do.
If you want, you can make a facebook group telling people you're going to be picking up garbage at a certain time, if anyone would like to join.
Garbage on the street has a very negative externality as people are less mindful of tossing garbage if there is already garbage on the street. It also strips people of dignity about where they live and can have other negative side-effects to the neighborhood or even promote lawlessness.
This is a fair point, but FWIW I worded this the way I did because I think the network of neighbors is ultimately more important than the physical work, and should have top priority.
But you’re right that you can start by picking up trash, and in fact that can be a good mechanism to meet the neighbors and build the network, depending on how you approach it.
I recently passed day 1,300 of picking up at least one piece of trash per day. It's not my only civic contribution, but it's deeply rewarding. I've also switched from jogging to plogging.
Some results:
It's gotten me on TV a couple times.
It's led to working with my city councilman, whose team recently started organizing group pickups.
Someone considering a Senate run contacted me for advice on sustainability.
I'm working with a few corporations to organize nationwide pickup events -- mainly fitness places you'd probably know the names of.
As a regular in my local park, the drug dealers there have become friendly with me, leading to long conversations about life.
I'm friends with entrepreneurs in the field.
People often thank me and we talk.
It reinforces my diet. I avoid packaged food, which I find increasingly disgusting, largely for what the packaging does to the world and the entitlement, willful ignorance, and salt/sugar/fat/convenience addiction does to our culture.
Most of all, I feel connected to my community.
On the downside, my view of human nature can get dark when I consider how much people pollute.
Along similar lines, our open source React Native app at Code for Boston for iOS and Android is in beta testing from the last several years of work: https://github.com/codeforboston/plogalong – if there is interest I think there is some sort of UDID-oriented URL they can send you to load on your phone.
Accepting new contributors on Tuesday nights ET.
Glad to see the project but not sure how I would use it. I'm friends with the founder of Litterati, but even that app is too much trouble for me to use. I don't bring a phone when I plog.
Still, I value tracking since it's fun and I think would motivate people. If my experience or practice can help, I'd be happy to.
I think maybe you're paying attention to the wrong part of that story. It's not the act of putting out the Buddha statue; it's the continuous care that a community of people put around the Buddha. The neighbor that plonked down the statue just contributed a statue. The community of Buddhists who adopted it, brought flowers, cleaned and improved the area are all doing exactly what the grandparent comment described.
The "success" of this was contingent upon there being a Vietnamese community in the neighborhood that took care of the statue and the space around it. To be clear, using another culture's religious icon to keep trash from piling up on your street is exceedingly disrespectful.
It's ineffective and woo, but come on. Disrespectful?
Can we get over this hyper-upper-class take on everything for lower class problems? When it gets vandalized, that's disrespectful, I guess, but putting it there is merely stupid.
The network is best when you start by setting an example and then spread is. "Look, as part of my daily exercise I pick up a bit of trash every day. I'm in better health and look how much better my neighborhood is" This speaks more than someone needs to do something so I'm putting together a group to form a committee. Lead by example.
Yes, although I was thinking more along the lines of we should be neighbourly to each other hand have a good relationship where we say hi and watch out for each other. Giving people bureaucracy won't work. A number of the neighbourhoods where I live have block parties once a year so that people know there neighbours. And once you know your neighbours you can start talking about mutual problems and then things you might be able to do to fix it.
I think the network is less of a means and more of an ends. When people have relationships in their community, they have access to support (e.g. someone to make sure their home isn't broken into while they're away or financial support in an emergency) - that's way more important for a city than clean sidewalks.
I think it's important to know the people who's corner you're trying to clean, lest you been perceived in a way you didn't intend. I'm not saying you should ask permission, per se, but some people find it offensive when outsiders come in and try to fix problems without context.
I don't think you need a network to begin cleaning up dirty corners.
Just pick up garbage you see on the street when you walk around. It has an immediate impact, is easy and doesn't cost anything. Other people may see it and may begin doing that as well. I'm surprised more people don't do.
If you want, you can make a facebook group telling people you're going to be picking up garbage at a certain time, if anyone would like to join.
Garbage on the street has a very negative externality as people are less mindful of tossing garbage if there is already garbage on the street. It also strips people of dignity about where they live and can have other negative side-effects to the neighborhood or even promote lawlessness.